History of the Peloponnesian War

The representatives of the allies[*](The narrative recurs to the end of ch. xvii.) happened to be still present in person at Lacedaemon, and as many of them as had not accepted the treaty were ordered by the Lacedaemonians to adopt it. But they, on the same pretext for which they had at first[*](cf. ch. xvii. (end).) rejected it, still refused to accept it unless a fairer treaty were made.

Since, then, they would not hearken to them, the Lacedaemonians dismissed them, and proceeded to make an alliance with the Athenians by themselves, thinking that the Argives would by no means make an alliance with Sparta— since they had refused to renew the treaty with them when Ampelidas and Lichas went to Argos-and believing that they would not be dangerous to them without the Athenians, and that the rest of the Peloponnesians would be most likely to remain quiet;[*](The text is surely not in order and numerous emendations have been offered. The rendering above assumes ευμμαχίαν ποιεῖσθαι as predicate of νομίζοντες, and adds καί, before νομίσαντες as correlative to τε—or, possibly, νομίσαντες may be causal.) for, had it been possible, they might have gone over to the Athenians.[*](ie. if there should be no treaty between Athens and Sparta, any dissatisfied state in the Peloponnesus might join the Athenian alliance and cause trouble. This danger would be removed by entering into the treaty, and also Argos, whose relations continued hostile, would be isolated.)

Accordingly since envoys were present from the Athenians, a conference was held and they came to an agreement, and oaths were sworn and an alliance made on the following terms: